Maybe you’re thinking about going to the DakhaBrakha show on Tuesday, December 2, at Taos Mesa Brewing, but you’re not sure. Maybe you’ve heard they’re weird. Maybe someone has told you that they know DakhaBraka is from Ukraine and the women in the band wear crazy black hats, but that’s about it. Well, let me tell you all you really need to know about DakhaBrakha: You don’t need to know anything about them. Not one thing. All you have to do is go. And you should. You may never again get a chance to see anything like the irresistible, wonderful sublime genius of DakhaBrakha.

Taos Mesa Brewing will be jukin' Saturday. I know because it says so right here.

Red’s Lounge, the quintessential Mississippi Blues juke joint, is a thousand miles and worlds away from the Taos County Juvenile Detention Center; but on June 14th, the disparate locales connect briefly at the Taos Mesa Brewing Company for the Blues, Brews and Bikes festival at Taos Mesa Brewing. Roots and Wires and Taos Mesa Brewing are producing the festival for the benefit of the Freedom in Music Project, an organization that brings hope to at-risk and detained New Mexico youth through music.

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, back when snow fell from the sky more frequently, I worked with Ben Myers in Taos Ski Valley. He was 18 the season I met him, and he had a full beard that made him look 25. When he skied, he wore a smile that made him look like a six-year-old. The guy could ski just about anything, which is what he usually did, even if the conditions said not to. When we skied together, having to call patrol to scrape him off a rock was always a possibility.

With hundreds of miles of trails in 1.5 million acres of national forest, there are always new mountain biking routes to discover in the Taos area. But pedaling blindly into the forest isn’t always the best way to do it. Joining a cycling club or team is the easiest way to tap the combined knowledge of other local riders or find someone to guide you safely through the trees. If you prefer pavement to dirt, a club ride offers companionship, motivation and increased visibility, the latter of which is always a good thing in Taos.